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Tuesday, August 30, 2011

I’m still struggling a little bit with what language I’m supposed to be using right now. When we got into Paris on Friday afternoon I was saying “obrigada” to the immigration guy and asking our taxi for a “recibo, por favor”. As the Wife pointed out, I was studying Spanish in a Portuguese speaking country while only really being able to speak English. Landing in Paris threw me for a loop. I asked a Pakistani waiter at an Indian restaurant in Paris who was speaking to us in both French and English for an “aqua sem gas” at lunch on Saturday. You can imagine his face.

Anyhoo…Jules took a day of vacay so we could have a little more time in Paris on our way to Dublin from Brazil. We hadn’t actually been in the city since 2009 and this time were really coming to see our friend, Frenchie. We got in Friday afternoon and immediately upon checking in crashed out on the bed. We were exhausted after the 10 hour flight and thought an hour nap would revive us. Not-so-much. A few hours later we were able to get up and get going. We headed over to the Louvre, which we had skipped last time to enjoy all my faves artists at the Musee d’ Orsay.

We hit as many of the highlights that we could. God knows you could spend 2 weeks straight in that place and never see it all…

After a few hours of art appreciating, we met up with Frenchie and spent the rest of the day and evening catching up over good food and good wine…

Saturday we set out for the Sacre Coeur…

Walked over to the Moulin Rouge…

and then headed over to the Opera House…

before heading back to Frenchie’s place to enjoy a bottle of wine and his ridiculous view…

We had a late and delicious dinner somewhere cute and all Parisian. That’s the great thing about having a local to help you. You can just relax and enjoy the best the city has to offer instead of trying to figure out what freaking train to take to what station. Aaaahhhhhh.

We spent Sunday morning walking through Frenchie’s neighborhood Sunday market and then through Le Marais where we had lunch.

It had been just over a year since we’d seen our dear friend and it was wonderful catching up and getting to peak into his new life in Paris. Although I came with the plan to con him into moving to Atlanta, I saw very quickly that wasn’t going to happen. I mean, it’s Paris. Paris, France. I just don’t think any city in the world can compare. Le sigh.

And hey, if he wants to live there forever, who am I to complain about having a friend living in Paris that I must visit on at least an annual basis?